Fusible door holder



.Bune 2, 1936. E. L. HEVERLY I 8 FUS IBLE DOOR HOLDER Filed Feb. 5, 19342 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 2

INVENTOR 32 vy/5.44%

ATTORNEY their ends holding discs.

Patented June 2, 1936 UNITED STATES- FUSIBLE DOOR HOLDER Earl L.Heverly, Chicago, 11 1., assignor to The Yale & Townc ManufacturingCompany, Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut ApplicationFebruary 3, 1934', Serial No. 709,606

12 Claims.

I This invention relates to a holding device for doors, and moreparticularly to a holding device adapted for use in combination with adoor closer, and adapted to be released by means fusible when exposed toheat.

More particularly, it is the object of my invention to provide a holdingdevice for a fire door closer assembly, wherein the usual pair of armsof the assembly carry a pair of discs pivotally rotatable relatively toone another, and adapted to be rotated to a position wherein the discswill jam frictionally against each other and against a spacer member,which in turn, is held in operative position by a fusible link element.The operation of the device is such that when the fusible link gives Wayunder heat, the spacer member will be withdrawn from operative position,and the frictional engagement between the discs will berelieved so thatthe door closer of which the arms form a part, willmove the door toa-closed position.

I appreciate that the art of fusible link closer armshas been veryhighly developed. However, the holding device constituting my invention,is adapted to allow for a very positive and quick release-which isextremely desirable in the art. While, therefore, my invention is inarelatively narrow field when considered in view of the prior art, it isnevertheless of considerable importance in that field, and it is myintention to claim rather broadly the particular combination I willdisclose below.

More in detail, my invention comprises, in one of its modifications, apair of arms having at One of the discs is screw threaded relatively toa shaft while the other disc is slidably mounted on this same shaft, butis non-rotatable relatively thereto. At the end'of the shaft there is alimiting nut and between this limiting nut and one of the discs,

relatively to one another, will force the two discs together and againstthe spacing membersand solidly against the end limiting nut. In thisrelation of the parts there will be a binding or jamming relation of thevarious surfaces so thatthe holder arms will be held in a position inwhich the door will be maintained open. 7

It is a further feature of my invention, that cam'meansare providedpreferably between the endlimiting nut andthe lever spacing members,although such cam means may be present elsewhere, or may be eliminatedin favor of spring devices or other means, these cam means acting toforce the lever spacing members laterally out of binding relation to theelements on the said shaft. For preventing the two lever members fromflying out of binding relation, I utilize a fusible link in combinationwith a series of levers which are arranged: to overcome the considerableforce tending to move the: spacing members out of binding relation.However, should the fusible link giveway as under heat, the spacingmembers will be adapted to move laterally and will. release the bindingengagement between the two discs of the closer arms, and'the door closerwill be allowed to move the door to a fully closed position.

I also apply my invention to a further door 7 holding combination inwhich the discs of the two' door closer arms are arranged in pivotalrelation rather than in'screw-threaded relation to one another, the twodiscs having cam surfaces whereby they may bind relatively to oneanother and the spacing levers and end limiting device on a pivotalshaft, as the closer arms rotate relatively to each other on theshaft.

For a detailed description of my invention I shall now-refer to thedrawings, wherein Fig. 1 illustrates a door and closer assembly to whichmy invention is applied. Fig. 2 is a topview of the pivotal door holdingassembly of my invention while Fig. 3'is a cross section along lines 3-3of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a side view of the parts of Fig. 2 showing thediscs and lever spacing members in binding relation to the end limitingnut. Fig. 5 is a view'similar to Fig. 2 showing the relation of theparts when the fusible link gives way. Fig. 6 is a further view of theparts of Fig. 5 showing the relation of the various parts after theholding relation of the arms, discs and lever spacing members has beenre leased so that the door closer arms may'move into a closed position.Fig 7 is a side view of the parts of Fig. 6 but showing the discsmodified for operation with a plain shaft having limiting means on bothends, and where the binding accloser I!) is applied-will be actuatedinto a closed position by cooperation of the arm I3 secured to the shaftII with the arm I4 secured to the frame I5 of the door.

The closer arm I3 has at one end a disc I6 slidably but not rotatablymounted on the square portion I! of a stud shaft I8. The door closer armI4 has secured thereto a disc I9 which is screw threaded on the studshaft I8 and in such a manner that relative rotation of the arms I3 andI4 will tend to move the disc I9 into frictional engagement with thedisc I6 as will be quite apparent.

There is provided a nut 29 threaded onto the stud shaft I8 whichfunctions as an end limiting device against which the rotation of thedisc I9 on the screw threads forces the disc I6, so that there may be abinding action between the nut 29, the disc I6, and the disc I9, whereonly a simple door holding action is required. However, since in thepresent invention, it is required that a fusible releasing mechanism beprovided, further means in the form of the lever spacing members 2| areprovided.

These lever members are best illustrated in Figs. 2, 5, and 6 and areshown as pivoted at points 22 on the upper disc I6. Each lever spacingmember 2| is equipped with a cam surface 23, this cam surfacecooperating with the under face of the nut 20 so that when the two armsI3 and I4 are moved into the position illustrated in Fig. 2, and also inFig. 3, there will be a binding between the discs I6, I9, the leverspacing member 2|, and the end limiting nut 20, this binding or jammingrelation of the parts being suflicient to overcome the. action of thespring of the closer I so as to maintain the door I2 in an openposition.

It will be quite obvious that when the parts are jammed together therewill be considerable force exerted between the end limiting nut 29 andthe lever spacing members 2| through the intermediary of the camsurfaces 23 of the lever members. Incidentally, while I have providedcam surfaces on both the end limiting nut 29 and the leverspacing'members 2|, it should be understood that the cam surfaces may belocated between the discs and the lever members or between any of theother parts in the assembly, or that even other means, such as springstending normally to urge the lever spacing members out of spacingposition may be provided.

In order to overcome the considerable force of the cam surfaces tendingto move the lever spacing members 2| in a horizontal direction out oftheir jamming relationship to the several devices mounted on the studshaft I8, I utilize a lever member 24 pivoted at 25 to one of the levermembers 2|, and carrying a further lever 26 pivoted at 21 thereto. Thisauxiliary lever 26 cooperates with a pin 28 on the lever member 2| forholding thev two spacing members 2| in the position of Fig. 2 in whichthey are in a position wherein they will bind with the discs I6 and I9against nut 20 to hold the door in open position.

There is provided a springy rod member 29 pivoted at 30 to theleverJnemb er 2| which maintains the auxiliary lever 26 in holdingrelationship relatively to the pivot or stud 28. This rod member 29 isin turn held in its holding position by a fusible link member 3|cooperating at its other end with the first mentioned lever 24. It isnecessary to use this rather unusual system of levers in order that therelatively weak fusible link 3| will be enabled to maintain the twospacing members 2| in binding position against the force exerted on thecam surfaces 23, this force being very considerable. If the fusible linkmember 3| were used directly to overcome the force exerted against thecam surfaces 23, it would have to be of such heavy construction that itwould lose its sensitivity.

It is quite easily seen that should heat be applied to the fusible link3|, it will give way, allowing the lever members 24 and 29 to swing asillustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, releasing the lever spacing members 2| asillustrated in Fig. 6, and withdrawing them from the binding engagementshown in Fig. 3, so that the entire binding or jamming relation of theparts of Fig. 3 will be relieved and the parts allowed to move in thedirection illustrated in Fig. 6, wherein the closer arms I3 and I4 areshown already moved into a more fully closed relation than in Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is a composite figure illustrating the re lease of the bindingrelation in Fig. 6 between the lever spacing members 2| and the endlimiting nut 29. It also illustrates a pair of discs which bind due totheir cam relation rather than due to a screw threaded relation similarto that of Fig. 3. It is quite easily seen that the surfaces of thediscs I6 and I9 in Fig. 7 are such that relative rotation will act tobind the two together against the bottom limiting nut 32 and the upperlimiting nut 20.

It will be of interest also to note that in Fig. 4, I show the upper andlower discs slightly tapered rather than at direct right angles to theiraxis of rotation. This is done so that the binding will be on merelypart of the surfaces of the discs rather than on their entire surfaces,thus giving 35 a more resilient binding action. The binding action firsttakes place on a part of the surfaces of the two discs, and then uponfurther forceful opening of the door, will take place on more of thesurfaces of the two discs than shown in Fig. 4. This gives a verydesirable commercial result.

I now claim:

1. A doorholding device comprising a pair of arms, a pivotal mountingfor said arms, additional means in said pivotal mounting so arrangedrelatively to said arms that predetermined relative pivotal movement ofsaid arms will act to jam said means and arms about said pivotalmounting so as to maintain them in a door holding position, a leverconstituting one of the elements of said additional means and itselfheld in said frictional jam, means under the influence of the jammingaction tending to force said lever laterally out of its jammed positionwhereby to effect the release of the arms on the mounting, and a fusiblelink adapted to maintain said lever in its jammed position against theforce of said second named means.

2. A door holding device comprising a pair of arms, a pivotal mountingfor said arms, additional means in said pivotal mounting so arrangedrelatively to said arms that relative pivotal movement of said arms willact to jam said means and arms about said pivotal mounting so as tomaintain them in a door holding position, a lever constituting one ofthe elements of said additional means and itself held in said frictionaljam, a cam surface on said lever cooperable with a second cam surface onone of the elements in said jamming frictional assembly, said camsurfaces being arranged so that said lever is continually urged out ofits jammed position, and a fusible link adapted to maintain said leverin its jammed position against the action of said cams.

3. A door holding device comprising a pair of arms and a shaft wherebythe armszmayimove' pivotally relatively to one? another: as the doormovesto and from-its closed position, additionalmeans' associated withsaidshaft and: arranged to jam frictionally with portions ofsaid armswhen:

said arms have moved. to a predetermined posi'- tion corresponding to.an open: position. of the relatively. to: said shaft, a camxsurface onsaid door, whereby to maintain the door in said open position, a memberforming one of the additional means in the frictional jam anditself'fheld fric-- tio-nally in. said jam, means whereby the jammingaction t'endsto move said member out of jammed position, and a fusibleelement adapted to hold said member in said jammed position.

4. A door holding device comprising a pair of arms and a shaft wherebythe arms may move pivotally relatively to one another as the door movesto and from its closed position, additional means associated with saidshaft and arranged to jam frictionally with portions of said arms whensaid arms have moved to a predetermined position corresponding to anopen positionof the door, whereby to maintain the door in said openposition, a member forming one of the means in the frictional jam onsaid shaft and itself held frictionally in said jam, a cam surfaceforming one of the surfaces of said member cooperating with the othermeans in said jam and acting to cam said member out of its jammedposition, and a fusible link adapted to hold said member in its jammedposition against the action of said cam surface.

5. A door holding device comprising a pair of arms and a shaft wherebythe arms may move pivotally relatively to one another as the door movesto and from its closed position, additional means associated with saidshaft and arranged to jam frictionally with portions of said arms whensaid arms have moved to a predetermined position correspondingtoan openposition of the door, whereby to maintain the door in said openposition, a pair of members forming part of said frictional jam and.themselves held frictionally in said jam, a cam surface on each of saidmembers cooperating with surfaces of the other elements in said jam andacting to cam said members out of their jammed position, and a fusiblelink adapted to hold said members in their jammed position against theaction of said cam surfaces.

6. A door holding device comprising a pair of arms, a stud shaft forminga part about which said arms may rotate relatively to one another, alimit device on said shaft, and a member acting as a spacer element onsaid shaft but mounted so as to move laterally relatively to said shaft,said arms and spacer member being adapted to jam against said limitdevice as said arms rotate relatively to each other in moving to apredetermined position, said spacer member being operable to loosen saidjam if moved laterally relatively to said shaft, and a fusible linkadapted to maintain said lever against such lateral movement.

7. A door holding device comprising a pair of arms, a stud shaft forminga pivot about which said arms may rotate relatively to one another, alimit device on said shaft, and a member acting as a spacer element onsaid shaft but mounted so as to movelaterally relatively to said shaft,said arms and spacer member being adapted to jam against said limitdevice as said arms rotate relatively to each other in moving to apredetermined position, said spacer member being operable to loosen saidjam if moved laterally member" cooperable withanother surface on' ithepivotaliassembly and exerting. a pressure on said member tendingcontinuously; to: move it 1 laterally relatively to said shaft, and afusible link adaptd: 5 to maintainfsaid memberagainst lateral move?ment. I 7 ,1

8. A door holder comp-rising 'a' pair of armshav'-c ing holding portionsinthe form .of discxsurfacea pivotally mounted about a shaft, alimitdevice on: 1402 said shaft,. a spacer member onv said-shaft:- and:mounted so asito move: laterally relativelythre; to, said disc surfacesbeing in the form of inclined cams whereby when they rotate relativelyto one another, they jam one another and the 15 spacer member againstsaid limit device and into a firm holding relationship, a cam surface onsaid spacer element tending to cam it laterally out of jammed relationto said discs and shaft limit device whereby to release said arms fromsaid hold- 20 ing relationship, and a fusible link adapted to maintainthe spacer member in its position against the force of said cam;

9. A door holder comprising a pair of arms having holding portions inthe form of disc surfaces 25 pivotally mounted about a shaft, a limitdevice on said shaft, a spacer member on said shaft and mounted so'as tomove laterally relatively thereto, said disc surfaces being in the formof inclined cams whereby when they rotate relatively to one another,they jam one another and. the spacer member against said limit deviceand into a firm holding relationship, means tending continuously toforce said spacer member laterally and out of jammed relation to saiddiscs and shaft limit device whereby to release said arms from saidholding relationship, and a fusible link adapted to maintain the spacermember in its position against the force of said'means.

10. A door holder comprising a pair of arms 40 having holding portionscomprising disc surfaces pivotally connected through the intermediary ofa shaft, a limit device on said shaft, a pair of spacer members pivotedon one of said arms and adapted to act as spacers on said shaft and tolie between said limit device and said disc surfaces, 7 said spacermembers being pivotally movable laterally out of said position wherebyto leave a space on said shaft, said disc surfaces being in the form ofinclined cams whereby when they rotate relatively to one another on theshaft they jam one another andthe spacer members against the shaft limitdevice and into a firm holding position, means tending continuously toforce said spacer members laterally on their pivots out of jammed 5relation to said discs and shaft whereby to release said arms from saidholding relationship, and a leverage system connecting said spacermembers through the intermediary of a fusible link and functioning tomaintain the members in their jammed position against the force of saidmeans.

11. A door holder comprising a pair of arms having holding portions inthe form of disc surfaces, a stud shaft upon which one of said discs isscrew threaded, and upon which the other disc is slidable, a limitdevice on said shaft, a spacer member on said shaft and mounted so as tomove laterally relatively thereto, said discs when rotated relatively toone another being adapted to jam one another and the spacer memberagainst said 1imit70 device and into a firm holding relationship, cammeans tending to cam said spacer member laterally out of jammed relationto said discs and shaft limit device whereby to release said arms fromsaid holding relationship, and a fusible link adapt- I ed to maintainthe spacer member in its operative position against the force of saidcam means.

12. A door holder comprising a pair of arms having holding portions inthe form of disc surfaces,a stud shaft upon which one of said discs isscrew threaded, and upon which the other disc is slidable but notrotatable, a limit device on said shaft, a pair of spacer memberspivoted on one of said arms and adapted to act as spacers on said shaftand to lie between said limit device and said disc surfaces, said discswhen rotated relatively. to one another being adapted to jam onemaintain the spacer members in their jammed po- 10 sition against theforce of said means.

EARL L. HEVERLY.

